8 Dead, 34 Missing in Chongqing Landslide

Kathmandu. At least 8 people have died and 34 are still missing in a landslide in the southwestern Chinese city of Chongqing, officials said on Saturday.

The landslide, which occurred on Friday morning in Pengshui County, buried more than 10 residential buildings with a large amount of rocks and soil, China's state-run media CCTV reported.

Ten people who were caught in the landslide have been rescued and sent to the hospital, while more than 1,100 local residents have been evacuated to safe places. Pictures and videos from the scene show rocks larger than skyscrapers falling and debris spread across the slope.

The upper part of one of the damaged buildings was completely destroyed, and a vehicle was found half-buried near another building.

According to Wang Chuanjun, head of planning and natural resources for Pengshui County, about 18,000 cubic meters of rocks and debris flowed in the landslide, the largest of which was about 3,000 cubic meters.

According to CCTV, there was continuous rain at the scene from Friday night to Saturday morning. The local meteorological center measured 19.2 centimeters of rainfall. Although rescue work was hampered by adverse weather, rescue teams have intensified their search in the debris and riverbank areas as the rain subsided.

Rescuers are searching amidst the risk of unstable rocks and further landslides. Officials are preparing to use drilling and explosives to remove large rocks after the search around the rocks is completed.

Meanwhile, China's National Development and Reform Commission has allocated 30 million yuan (about 4.4 million US dollars) in relief funds for the restoration of infrastructure and public services after the disaster.

The landslide, caused by rain, occurred near the Wujiang River area. This area is known for small settlements and terraced karst mountains. Pengshui County is located in the southeastern part of Chongqing. This area borders Hubei and Guizhou provinces.